Speightstown’s Reynaldothewizard triumphs in Grade 1, $2 million Dubai Golden Shaheen

Reynaldothewizard held off the fast-closing Balmont Mast to win the $2 million Dubai Golden Shaheen (G1) by a quarter of a length on Saturday at Meydan Racecourse, giving the son of Speightstown his second graded stakes win of the month.

The 7-year-old, ridden by Richard Mullen, was fastest out of the gate but took back slightly off the lead set by Private Zone. Going three wide around the turn, Mullen sent Reynaldothewizard to the front outside the quarter pole, opened up about a length and a half in mid-stretch, then held off Balmont Mast  to claim the victory.

A winner of the Grade 3 Mahab Al Shimaal S. over the same course and 1,200 meter distance Mar. 9, Reynaldothewizard, is trained by Satish Seemar for Zabeel Racing.

Mullen called the victory “the best win of my career. I get the easy part–I sit on top and steer him,” said Mullen. “They put in a lot of hard work at Zabeel, and this is for them.”

Reynaldothewizard was a $775,000 2-year-old purchase in 2008 at the Fasig-Tipton February Select Sale. He was a “TDN Rising Star” following a sharp maiden score in his debut that Spring at Churchill Downs. With Saturday’s big payday, the bay Kentucky-bred has earned $1,508,340, with a record of 7-1-2 in 18 starts.

Reynaldothewizard is out of Holiday Runner, winner of the Fashion S. and Three Chimneys Juvenile S. at two. She is the dam of Seventh Street, winner of a pair of Grade 1’s: Apple Blossom S. and Go For Wand S., as well as the graded stakes-placed American Story.

After finishing 2012 as the third-leading sire in North America, with $9.9 million in progeny earnings, Speightstown has started off 2013 in top fashion once again, currently ranks seventh on that same list.